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The present invention relates generally to an integrated method and system that uses multiple sensory materials with a voice recording and playback system. More particularly, this invention pertains to a method and system that uses structured materials and an analogue mono tape recorder with a microphone headset that allows the patient, student, individual, or set of structured materials including schema to improve discrimination of the sound patterns within words.
The development of the ability to process speech sounds takes place at middle ear level during the early childhood years. The critical period for developing the skills for the analysis, discrimination, and categorizing sounds within speech takes place between the ages of six months and three years. Problems in the child""s development can cause difficulties in learning to recognize printed materials. These problems may be caused by the various forms of dyslexia, middle ear infections in infancy (Otitis Media), and phonemic processing difficulties.
Dyslexia is an inherent condition, neurological in nature, whereby the individual experiences a difficulty in coding and decoding xe2x80x9cspoken speechxe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9cwritten speechxe2x80x9d and vice versa. xe2x80x9cWritten speech,xe2x80x9d also known as print, is xe2x80x9cspoken speechxe2x80x9d put on paper using an alphabetic and phonemic code. The phonemic code is composed of phonemes, which are the minimal speech sounds. In an alphabetic language, we use letters singly and in combination to represent these minimal speech sounds. The ability to deal with the speech at the phonemic level is necessary in order to acquire proficiency in the coded speech.
Some reading disabled students have difficulties in listening even though their hearing is adequate. These students may have experienced middle ear infections prior to entering school. Otitis Media, a catarrhal condition of the middle ear, subtly degrades the quality and quantity of the information passed by the middle ear to the speech and hearing centers in the developing brain. This is caused by the middle ear attenuating sounds differentially across the spectra of speech sound frequency. This condition has been shown to adversely affect the ability to acquire effective literacy skills and may also affect speech development. Otitis Media in infancy can result in difficulties in discriminating and categorizing the sound patterns within words. This problem with sound patterns can lead to difficulties in literacy development because phonemic processing skills are necessary to deal with an alphabetic phonetic language such as English.
One of the identifying aspects of Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.) is the inability to xe2x80x9cinternalizexe2x80x9d another individual""s external speech. The internalization of speech from the individual himself is not a problem in the A.D.D. individual because their behavior and responses are controlled by their internal speech. The difficulty in the learning process is in getting the A.D.D. affected individual to internalize the external speech of another individual. This problem is most frequently encountered when the other individual is trying to teach or exercise control over the A.D.D. affected individual.
A recent study by the Conference Board of Canada states that individuals with high literacy skills will earn a working lifetime average of $500,000 dollars more than people with low literacy skills. People with low literacy skills are eight times more likely to experience long term unemployment. The cost in Canada of low literacy skills has been computed by the same conference board study as $8 Billion Cdn. The figures for the US will most likely be comparable in per capita terms.
Present figures indicate that approximately 35% of third grade students within the Nashville Metropolitan School District fail to acquire appropriate levels of reading skills. US national figures from a recent OECD report indicate that approximately 40% of native born and educated Americans are functionally illiterate. This means that they do not possess sufficient literacy skills to allow them to easily deal with everyday activities that involve literacy. In the less economically advantaged areas this number is probably higher. It is common knowledge that many of those who fall foul of the law have literacy problems as do many of those who find themselves recurrent welfare claimants.
The importance of phonemic processing skills and the ability to discriminate and categorize the sound pattern within words has been well documented in the literature. These skills have a proven relationship to reading disabilities. See Bradley and Bryant (1983); Vellutino and Scanlon (1987); and Wagner and Torgesen, (1987). In addition, these skills are also associated with reading comprehension. See Foorman (1997).
There are many programs that are directed towards the correction of reading disabilities. These programs range from phonic drill programs such as The Writing Road To Reading, Hooked on Phonics, DISTAR and Reading Recovery to the more complex approaches such as the Lindamood ADD program (Auditory Discrimination in Depth) and the Fast For Word Program which uses high end computers and software. The Fast For Word Program was originally designed for use with individuals suffering from severe receptive language disorders and involves high end computers. This program requires the student to attend for two hours per day, and is available mainly through xe2x80x98licensed therapistsxe2x80x99. A scholarly review of this program can be found in Brady (1997). In addition to these programs, a cursory search of the internet will produce a plethora of remedial reading programs based on phonics and other approaches.
Phonic drill programs can be difficult for many reading disabled students. This difficulty is caused because disconnected phonemes are, in essence, meaningless unless they are associated with words. The ability to deal with the individual sound patterns as they appear within words is not a normal aspect of language development. Furthermore, many students with poor reading skills also have difficulty in the areas of attention and concentration. These additional difficulties make this learning activity especially difficult for them. These facts limit the usefulness of drill programs in developing reading in many students.
Furthermore, some of these remedial programs over complicate an already complex situation. These programs can impart information to the student that will have to be unlearned at a later time (e.g. diacritics in the Writing Road To Reading). Other programs introduce unnecessary detail such as learning redundant word or sound families (Hooked on Phonics). These programs have further disadvantages because they require a great deal of time to produce measurable results. The xe2x80x9cADDxe2x80x9d program requires a four-hour daily attendance schedule and requires a range of instructors dealing with the various aspects of the program. The teacher/instructor requires a great deal of knowledge of how speech is generated and how the language works at phonemic level. The xe2x80x9cADDxe2x80x9d program is effective with a range of students but takes a relatively long time. The Reading Recovery program takes to a year to yield significant results. See Shanhan and Barr (1995). For further information, a useful review of the literature on the effectiveness of many of these remedial programs can be found in Pinnel (1994).
Thirty years of research into reading difficulties shows conclusively that the ability to segment, blend and manipulate the minimal speech sounds within words (phonemes) underpins literacy development. These abilities are independent of measured IQ.
In most cases the identification of significant reading difficulties in students within the average range of general ability can take a year or more. A significant proportion of readers with these disabilities fall within the average range. During the time period before the students have been identified with reading disabilities, the students are becoming increasingly aware of their failures which affects both their self image and their self esteem as learners. These xe2x80x9cfailing readersxe2x80x9d often develop a fear of failure, a fear of learning, and other performance related anxieties which may cause them to acquire a range of xe2x80x98avoidancexe2x80x99 behaviors. These avoidance behaviors are developed to allow them to xe2x80x98escapexe2x80x99 from the situations that signal possible failure. This results in the xe2x80x98if you don""t do it you can""t fail itxe2x80x99 approach.
The effects of xe2x80x9cnegative self-image as a learnerxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cperformance related anxiety on learningxe2x80x9d are well documented in the literature. Speilberger (1966, 1978). A slow acting program will only serve to deepen the anticipation of continued failure in many students. Self esteem and self confidence are best built on the basis of real achievement. Thus, a program that works quickly will produce the quickest change in student expectations of success. Therefore, to be really effective, a remedial program should be able to produce improvements quickly so that the student can perceive the increase in their ability to deal with print.
What is needed, then, is an efficient learning technique to assist a range of individuals who are experiencing difficulties in relation to literacy skill development due to the reasons cited above.
An integrated method and system which uses multiple sensory materials with a voice recording and playback system. The system provides a means for those individuals who have unexpected difficulties in dealing with printed speech to overcome those difficulties. The method and system comprises an analogue mono tape recorder with a microphone headset that allows the student to hear his voice as collected at the microphone and a set of structured materials including schema to improve discrimination of the sound patterns within words. The method and system uses and integrates the sense systems responsible for vision, hearing, speaking and writing simultaneously in a unique multi sensory format. When the student hears his voice in both recording and playback it is perceived by the student to originate within the midline of the head. This midline perception is viewed by the student as an internal perception.
This invention uses a technique including self voice feedback using taping equipment, to assist a range of individuals who are experiencing difficulties in relation to literacy skill development. It includes a training scheme to develop auditory processing skills with respect to speech frequencies, to improve, (1) ability to segment, blend and manipulate the sound patterns (phonemes) within words and (2) associate these with visual representations (letters) of those sounds. The invention improves reading and spelling accuracy and fluency both oral and silent, listening, and a range of other important learning skills.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an improved apparatus and method are provided which addresses the drawbacks of the prior art devices and in one of its exemplary forms includes a recording and playback device, and a set of structured materials including a schema to improve discrimination of sound patterns.
In yet another example of the present invention, a literacy development method for an individual with a voice is provided which includes providing materials, including a recording and playback device, and teaching multiple parts of a language by a series program.
A further example of the present invention provides for a literacy development method which presents the initial letter sounds, consonant combinations, spelling alternatives, the adding of endings, the making of plurals, and spelling rules.
A still further example of the present invention teaches a literacy development method which includes instructing on sound words, sentences, spelling words, writing, and monitoring the progress of an individual.
Other objects and further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.